1 ¶ And David made houses for himself in the city of David and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

2 T hen David said, The ark of God should not be brought except by the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister unto him perpetually.

Then David said, “ No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.”

3 A nd David gathered all Israel together in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place which he had prepared for it.

4 A nd David assembled the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

5 o f the sons of Kohath: Uriel, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twenty;

of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and 120 of his relatives;

6 o f the sons of Merari: Asaiah, the chief and his brethren, two hundred and twenty;

of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and 220 of his relatives;

7 o f the sons of Gershon: Joel, the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty;

of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and 130 of his relatives;

8 o f the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, the chief, and his brethren, two hundred;

of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and 200 of his relatives;

9 o f the sons of Hebron: Eliel, the chief and his brethren, eighty;

of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and 80 of his relatives;

10 o f the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twelve.

of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and 112 of his relatives.

11 A nd David also called for Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab

Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab,

12 a nd said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers among the Levites; sanctify yourselves and your brethren and bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it,

and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it.

13 f or because ye did not do it thus at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us because we did not seek him according to his ordinance.

Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.”

14 S o the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

15 A nd the sons of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.

16 A nd David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint of their brethren as singers with instruments of music, with psalteries and harps and cymbals sounding, and to lift up their voice with joy.

Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.

17 S o the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari and of their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,

18 a nd with them their brethren of the second order, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

19 S o the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, raised their voices with cymbals of brass;

So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze;

20 a nd Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth.

and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah, with harps tuned to alamoth;

21 A nd Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah, to lead with lyres tuned to the sheminith.

22 A nd Chenaniah, prince of the Levites in prophecy, for he presided in prophecy, because he had understanding.

Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful.

23 A nd Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

24 A nd Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethaneel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obededom and Jehiah were also doorkeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark.

25 ¶ So David and the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.

So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with joy.

26 A nd with God helping the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.

Because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 A nd David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and also all the Levites that bore the ark and the singers and Chenaniah, the prince of the prophecy of the singers. David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen.

28 T hus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with sound of the shofar and with trumpets and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres.

29 A nd it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw King David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.

It happened when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart.